Working Together for the Glory of God

Guest Author: Dan Williams, Founder of Sports Serve

The Giant Puzzle

I felt overwhelmed and paralyzed by the enormity of the task. This was my mental and physical state as I looked out over the scene. The task was familiar enough. Who hasn’t put a puzzle together? Every Christmas my family works on a puzzle together and it’s a great bonding experience.

But this was different.  I was in Orlando, FL attending an International Sports Leadership Conference with 100+ leaders from over 50 different countries. As a part of a full day of team building we had all broken into small teams for different activities. Now each team had been given over twenty giant puzzle pieces. The board was the size of a small ballroom. Our task was simple. Together all 100+ of us were to work together to piece the puzzle together.

A few brave leaders jumped to the center with an idea that each team appoint a leader to represent their team and to convene together to develop a plan. Soon decisions were being made. A small group began to shout commands. Each of us on our team began to look around not knowing who was in charge. It was a puzzle we collectively thought. We should just grab a piece and find where it goes.

So our group started. Still shouting from the center were others with competing commands. One person had an idea. Another had a new idea. While others like our group quietly worked to figure out where their pieces went.

Discouragement Sets In

Time passed and progress was not made. Some began running around rearranging work that had been done. Finally, collective frustration began to set in. Next came despair and some began wandering around along the edge of the puzzle. The shouting continued. I guess they felt the need to shout to capture everyone’s attention. But as soon as they opened their mouths you realized that they were just as unsure as you were about what to do. So you stopped listening.

I’ve learned over time that no two people will necessarily take away the same knowledge from the same lesson. Educators say this is due to the many differences among learners including culture, preconceptions and other variations in the learning process. This was evident as we gathered as a large group to debrief our frustrating attempt to piece the puzzle together. We had finally accomplished the task. But the reality was that most had quit and left the task to a smaller group to accomplish.

I believe it was our many differences, including culture, preconceptions and other variations that were the main hurdle in our combined attempt to complete the task. Was this the result of the curse of the Tower of Babel (Genesis 11:5-8)? It sure did feel like it.

Our Challenge

This experience reinforced to me why it is so hard to work with others. But God sure does want us to work with others. For example, in Psalm 133 the psalmist writes, “How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity!” Or in I Corinthians 12:12-31 where Paul writes, “we are all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body…” And again in Ephesians 4:1-13 he writes, “Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.” Jesus also prays in John 17:20-23, “My prayer is … that all of them may be one…”

Do I have a choice of going alone? Certainly I do. But it is very apparent that when I do try and work together with others that I partake in something special.

I love reading John 6:1-15. Looking out over a mass of 5,000 people Jesus asks Philip, “Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?” Philip’s responded, “It would take more than half a year’s wages to buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!”

Then enters Peter. “Here is a boy with five small barely loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?” Then Jesus does something amazing. He tells everyone to sit down and after giving thanks he takes the loaves and small fish and begins distributing them out to everyone. And everyone had enough to eat with plenty left over.

Blindspots

Perhaps the one voice we were not listening to that day of the giant puzzle was our Master's voice. And why is this so apparent? When faced with the enormity of the task the only one who was not paralyzed was Jesus. The different cultures and perspectives were no match for Jesus. Just like feeding 5,000 was no problem for him. What fun it must have been for those disciples on that incredible day! What fun might it have been for our group had we pulled together with God to complete the puzzle?

Recently I participated in a webinar CEDE Sports facilitated about, “How to Play Sports for the Glory of God.” When I think about this topic I remember the day of the giant puzzle and how I was paralyzed by the enormity of the task. Even Bob Schindler who moderated the webinar commented, “I don’t think there is a more heady subject than the glory of God outside of the subject of God himself.”

With a subject like this it doesn’t take long for the many differences and preconceptions to begin to be injected into the conversation. We may become discouraged, or question why we would want to stay engaged in the conversation anyway. Perhaps even quit all together because we don’t think we can contribute.

Our Only Shot at Success

Can I challenge you? Can I challenge myself? It’s about doing it with God. It’s about what we learn along the way. Let’s journey together with God to discover His perfect plan. Together, with God, let’s bring our piece of the puzzle to each other and listen for His voice of revelation.

The reality is that without God this conversation too will become our Tower of Babel. “So the Lord scattered them from there over all the earth, and they stopped building the city.” Genesis 11:8

Identity in Christ Over Identity in Skill

Edited by Aubrey Coleman

On November 30, 2013, the day before Kane Gonzalez began his role as Sports Director at Redeemer Sports in Cumming, GA, he was given the responsibility of leading the draft for the K-1st grade boys division of the basketball league. The goal was clear: assemble the best team possible to win.

But it wasn’t an easy task. Since they don’t allow pre-formed teams and the registration is
open to the public, there is always a mix of new players, many of whom are just starting out in
the sport. Towards the end of the 1st grade boys’ draft, one coach refused to add a particular
child to his team, citing the low assessment score the child received. He called the boy “un-
coachable” and “unwanted.”

Fast forward to Spring Baseball 2025. On assessment day, Kane was out sick. His staff and
volunteer coaches took over, and told him it was the smoothest, happiest assessment ever.
The following Monday, a mom called the office and explained that her youngest child went
through the skill assessments, while her oldest son stayed behind to watch the older kids. One
of the coaches leading the field assessment noticed the boy watching
from the sidelines. He invited him out to the field to help catch balls and assist with the
assessments. It was clear that the boy never played baseball, and his score would have likely
been low, but the coach assured him it was okay. He explained that the focus of his team
wasn’t on where they started, but on growing and improving each week. Above all, the team
would learn that their identity wasn’t tied to their skills, but to how God saw them.

Later, when Kane spoke to the boy’s mom, she shared that they just moved to the area three
weeks ago, and were still searching for ways their children could get involved. When she asked
her son if he wanted to play, he replied, “It just feels good to be wanted.” The determining
factor for her oldest son joining them this season was not the facilities, it wasn’t because they
were organized and had great communication skills, it wasn’t because the advertisements
were effective, but because the coach noticed and invested in the young man.

This transformation of the coaches' focus over the years has been striking. Initially, the
emphasis was primarily on winning—on assembling the best teams and assessing players
based on their skills. Now, the goal isn't just about victory on the court or field, but about
helping players grow in their identity in Christ. Coaches like those mentioned have become a
living example of this change—focusing on helping players, regardless of their skill level,
understand that their value isn’t defined by how well they perform, but by how God sees
them. It’s no longer just about teaching sports skills; it’s about living and sharing the gospel—
that we are all wanted, loved, and valuable in God's eyes.

What seems to be your current ministry focus? How does this story encourage you to consider a more gospel-centered focus? Share in the comments!

Proven Effects of Gratitude

Written by Ken Cross

Proven Results

Thankfulness and Gratitude has been proven to increase the performance of teams and individuals – Do you believe it?In addition to mentoring Sports Ministers, I am also the team chaplain for two collegiate basketball teams here in Charlotte, NC. As you know 2020 is a crazy year for college teams. Before their season started I sent the following quick note to encourage them. For context, one team cannot go to the college campus yet because the school is all virtual until January and the other team is in a bubble and I cannot visit them. Take the truths below that I wrote for them and let them speak to you too! Here at the beginning of a school year when so many questions are swirling in our heads:

•     What will our schedule look like? 

•     Am I putting myself at risk for potential illnesses? 

•     Will we fly in a plane this year? 

•     Are bus rides safe?

•     Will there be fans in the stands?

I have some good news for you. Recent studies have proven that if you have gratefulness for what you do have, life all around is better. That catch phrase, “Attitude of Gratitude” now actually means something.In the book, Theoretical Approaches to Multicultural Positive Psychological Interventions*, Dr. Nicole Gabana states the following: “Some of these benefits include increased life satisfaction, social connectedness, positive affect, resilience, altruism, better quality of sleep, and reduced psychological distress. Specifically, in the athletic population, recent research has shown that athletes who have higher levels of gratitude also report greater social support, life and sport satisfaction, team cohesion, and lower levels of burnout.”This got me thinking – which is dangerous, I know – what is the opposite of “thankfulness”. My first thoughts flowed toward “entitlement mentality”. 

Entitlement Mentality

Entitlement Mentality (EM) is defined as the state of mind that you are owed something when most people around would beg to differ. The most toxic expression of entitlement mentality is the gap between egotism and reality. Everyone seems to agree that until you get rid of it, you will have difficulties achieving what you want to achieve and it’s unlikely that you will maximize your true potential.Four common characteristics of someone with “EM” are:

1. Giving Little Recognition to Others because that is not my job.

2. Talking Too Much because they are convinced that what they have to say is much more important … and anyway "ya’ll owe me attention!”

3. Ignore Others Opinions

4. Interrupt, Deny, Pontificate

Think how our team can be negatively affected by this! Do you feel you are entitled to a certain amount of playing time?  Do you thank those that serve you? Do you listen to others or is your music more important than teammates? Have you ever thanked your family for helping you on your path to this school?

Listen To Scripture

As your Chaplain, let me remind you these studies and definitions simply reinforce what the Bible says:"Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus." 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 "Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise — the fruit of lips that openly profess his name. And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased." Hebrews 13:15-16 One of the best things about thankfulness is that the more you choose it, the easier it gets. The more you profess gratitude, the more you notice things to be grateful for. The thankfulness muscles respond to exercise!Let’s flex our “Thankfulness Muscles!” Please be assured I am praying for you! 

*Gabana, Nicole. (2019). Gratitude in Sport: Positive Psychology for Athletes and Implications for Mental Health, Well-Being, and Performance. 10.1007/978-3-030-20583-6_15. pp.345-370 (Asst. Professor of Sports Psychology at FSU)Clip of this research: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sBd2hWae-dE 

Is Competition Good or Bad?

Written by Bob Schindler

The Big Question

At CEDE SPORTS, we talk a lot about the brokenness of sports. As you read what we say, you might get the message that we think competition is bad. We don't. However some do. Here is an example from a blog previously posted by Joshua Becker entitled "How Competition Made Me Less Successful":

“I have, unfortunately, viewed most of my life through the lens of competition. I could blame it on…but most likely, competition is just the default position of my heart....and to be fair, it’s not all bad. Viewing life as competition has motivated me to work harder at school, work, and personal growth. It has prompted discipline and perseverance….Viewing life only as competition has terrible drawbacks. It pursues success for only the self. It breeds jealousy and envy. It withholds encouragement. It mistreats others on its way to the finish line. A world divided into winners and losers is one that misses the opportunity to show grace....Our world needs people who compete less and encourage more.”

A Different Way to Look at This

While I agree with much of his sentiment, I find exception to his use of words. For instance, I would change his statements to the following:

“I have, unfortunately, viewed most of my life through the lens of fallen competition. I could blame it on…But most likely, competition is just the default position of my heart.”

“Viewing life only as fallen competition has terrible drawbacks. It pursues success for only the self. It breeds jealousy and envy. It withholds encouragement. It mistreats others on its way to the finish line. A world divided into winners and losers is one that misses the opportunity to show grace.”

These I agree with. Fallen competition - that strives against others to more fully establish my glory - IS TRULY the default of everyone's heart. The drawbacks ARE EXACTLY as he says.

• In fallen competition, the pursuit of success is only for self.

• Fallen competition does breed jealousy and envy.

• Fallen competition does mistreat others on its way to the finish line.

• Fallen competition does assume that success in another’s life equals one less opportunity for success in mine.

Our Solution

But the answer isn’t getting rid of competition and replacing it with encouragement. The answer is to redeem the competition, to take it back to the way God intended. If we see the solution to this problem as merely a switch from competition to encouragement, we oversimplify this redemption. In the process, we could also miss the beauty and depth to this redemption.  Competition came before the fall not after before the fall not after. Original and, therefore, redeemed competition is about striving together to more fully express in others and us the image of God within us. Certainly, redeemed competition includes encouragement, but it involves so much more. This same writer describes this redeemed competition as follows:

"It becomes about the challenge, the experience, the unity of a common goal, and the opportunity to help someone else cross the finish line with you….As a result, the entire route is filled with encouragement from bystanders and competitors completely committed to running well and helping other racers finish strong."

The Application

Do you hear what he is saying? This competition is not just about encouragement.  It is also about "the challenge...the common goal...running well." All this striving not for our glory but to spur others to more fully express their God given glory. This heart of competition is lost if all I do is switch “compete to encourage” as the author does.

 "Our world needs people who compete less and encourage more."

At CEDE SPORTS, we would say "our world needs people who compete in a fallen way less and compete in a redeemed way more." This is not just semantics. The beauty of the heart of competition, this striving together, is at stake. If all I do is focus on encouragement, this heart could just so easily be lost as it has so tragically been marred in fallen competition. Competition doesn’t need to be eliminated. It needs to be redeemed. 

RESPONDING TO BROKENNESS

Written by Bob Schindler

The Reality

Get involved with people very much and you find all kinds of problems. Failing health, marital infidelity, rebellious children, embezzling employees, fractured friendships – the list seems endless.  The influence of sin is all around us. 

Our Response

People respond differently to this reality.  Some deny.  Some avoid.  My response is often to get discouraged and overwhelmed.  It seems the more I listen, the more I just see the greatness of sin.  Left alone, this perspective moves me to despair, tempting me to withdraw.

Jesus had a different response.  Matthew records one example of this response in chapter 9 starting in verse 35.  Jesus’ response, first of all, was to stay very engaged with people.  He was traveling from town to town, and Matthew tells us that, in his travels, he was teaching, preaching and healing.

Matthew doesn’t leave us there.  He tells us the origin of Jesus’ engagement.  In verse 36, we learn “when he (Jesus) saw the crowds”, he saw them as “harassed and helpless”.  Jesus’ engagement began with a perspective on the reality of the power of sin.  It didn’t stop there.  He also saw the reason for this reality.  They were “like sheep without a shepherd”. They were on their own and, on their own, they were “helpless” to deal with that which was harassing them.

Divine Provision

Jesus reaction to the fullness of this reality was compassion.  He was moved by their plight and gave them what they needed – himself, the Good Shepherd.

I gain something significant from Jesus’ reaction.  What people need in dealing with the impact of sin – you, me, people in sports ministry, or people outside the kingdom – is the engagement of this Shepherd.  The greater the impact of sin, the greater the need for a Great Shepherd.  The incredible truth is that Our Shepherd is far greater than the greatest sin, its power and impact. 

This perspective gives me encouragement as I think about the impact of sin.  It also gives me hope as I seek to deal with the impact of sin around me.  I hope it will uplift you also.

Are You Reluctant to Recruit?

Written by Bob Schindler

In my job, I have the privilege to regularly sit with Sports, Rec, and Fitness leaders from Local Churches and discuss their ministries. Recently, in one of those conversations, the subject of recruiting came up. The Sports Minister and I were discussing the Ministry’s Leadership Team and one of the people rotating off. I asked if she planned to replace this person. She said yes and we discussed possible candidates.

One particular person was at the top of the list and, when I asked further about him, the Sports Minister said, “He is very busy – he already coaches his kids and his job is very demanding.” I sensed her reluctance to recruit him to this position even though he was probably the most qualified for the role. Have you ever felt that reluctance in recruiting someone to your ministry?

When I asked the Sports Minister how they would go about recruiting this person, she outlined their hypothetical discussion and something clicked for me. My Sports Minister friend didn’t want to burden this busy man with another obligation. She didn’t say it directly but it seemed to me this was their perception of the role underneath the recruiting. I brought this up and she confirmed my thoughts.

We then discussed a different perspective on recruiting – one where you are recruiting to an opportunity not an obligation, to a privilege not a burden, by invitation not by begging. To help the Sports Minister see this opportunity and privilege, we discussed the benefits she had experienced in being a part of the Leadership Team in the past 3-4 years. Sure it was work but she agreed it had been very transformative for her and the others. The group experienced real community as the Leader encouraged them to share their lives as well as the work. They also experienced personal development as they learned more about their gifts and abilities and how they fit on the team.

Finally, we talked about God’s affirmation for the team as he used them to develop the ministry. Community. Development. Affirmation. Sense of Purpose. As we reviewed these benefits, she realized they were things everyone looks for. She saw afresh that being a part of ministry where these are taking place is a great opportunity, a privilege she should never apologize for inviting people to take part.

So the next time you are reluctant to recruit, remember the difference between inviting someone into a privileged opportunity and begging someone to take on a burdening obligation.

What Does it Mean to Be Gospel-Centered?

Written by Bob Schindler

What does it mean to be gospel centered?

At CEDE SPORTS & REACH, we talk about gospel centered sports, rec, and fitness ministry. This phrase "gospel centered" is used a lot these days and means different things for different people.

To some it means to preach the gospel to the participants in that ministry. To others, it means to be focused on the propositional truths of the gospel and stands in contrast to "Christ-centered." When we use gospel centered, we don't mean either of those ideas. Simply put, from our perspective, to be gospel centered is to:

1. See the gospel as THE STORY God has been telling since the beginning of time, rooted in history with Jesus Christ as the Redeeming Hero of that STORY.

2. To move to integrate all of life - every bit of it - into that STORY.

This means that gospel centered sports rec, and fitness ministry involves - whether is it recruiting coaches, drafting teams, finding instructors, keeping score, spectating games, coaching players, playing the sport, participating in classes, selecting music or in other words whatever is involved in sports, rec, and fitness ministry - and integrating that into the gospel.

Another way of looking at this concept is to ask the following:

1. What is the gospel?

2. What of life does the gospel impact?

If you have a question on this idea, please reach out to our staff team.

The Gospel Story is the Greatest Story

Written by Bob Schindler

The Gospel is The Story from which that all other stories flow!

Here at CEDE SPORTS, we regularly share about Gospel Centricity. The Gospel Centricity perspective involves two things:

1. Seeing the Gospel as The Story God has been telling since the beginning of time, rooted in history, with Jesus Christ as the Redeeming Hero.

2. Moving to integrate all of life into that STORY.

I got this idea about STORY from two authors I respect - C.S.Lewis and Frederick Buechner. Frederick Buechner declares this reality beautifully in the following quote:

“[The gospel] is a world of magic and mystery, of deep darkness and flickering starlight. It is a world where terrible things happened and wonderful things too. It is a world where goodness is pitted against evil, love against hate, order against chaos, in a great struggle where often it is hard to be sure who belongs to which side because appearances are deceiving. Yet for all its confusion and wildness, it is a world where the battle goes ultimately to the good, who live happily ever after and where in the long run everybody, good and evil alike become known by his true name... This is the fairy tale of the Gospel with of course one crucial difference from all other fairy tales, which is that the claim made for it is that it is true, that it not only happened once upon a time but has kept happening ever since and is happening still.” --from Telling the Truth: The Gospel as Tragedy, Comedy, and Fairy Tale

As a student of "stories," especially from the Medieval Period, C.S. Lewis' recognition of this reality about The Gospel, pointed out to him by J.R. Tolkien, was a significant influence in Lewis' conversion from atheism to Christianity. As a story, The Gospel has all the dramatic elements of any good story. But don't miss the one crucial difference between The Gospel and all other fairy tales or stories, which is the claim made that it is true. This is what makes the Gospel THE STORY - THE STORY from which all stories flow.

Who Is The Gospel For?

Written by Bob Schindler, COO of CEDE Sports

My answer to that question today is different than it would have been 20 years ago. At that time, we were in the midst of planting a church that had as one of its desires to see half of the growth in the church coming from the conversion of non-believers. (We were young and naive, not realizing at the time what a radical desire that was.) In the face of that desire, we were intentional and relational in our approach to outreach.

While we didn’t say it explicitly, we said by our actions – “The gospel is for non-believers.” – in answer to the question. This implicit answer impacted us in ways we didn’t realize then, but do more now. For instance, when I read Romans 1:16 – “For I am not of the gospel because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes; first to the Jew, then to the Gentile.” I only saw this verse in the context of evangelism. That means the salvation that the verse speaks of related only to the salvation from one’s sin that unbelievers experience when they believe. I actually read the verse without realizing it like this – “it (the gospel) is the power of God that brings salvation to every one who believed (past tense).” I even memorized this verse to help compel me to share the gospel with those non-believers for that salvation.

At the same time in that church, we were committed to the discipleship of those who had believed in that gospel – both new and long-term believers. We tried to be just as intentional in our approach to that discipleship as we were in our outreach. In that discipleship, we emphasized small groups, interaction with the Scripture, authenticity, serving, worship, as well as other “spiritual disciplines.” However, I don’t think I saw the gospel as a central component of that discipleship. While I didn’t say it explicitly, again by my actions, my answer to the question was – “The gospel isn’t for believers; just for non-believers.”

Today I see things very differently. It began as I looked more closely at the Scriptures, specifically those that spoke of the gospel. Going back to Romans 1:16, I noticed the tense of the verb “believes” is not past but present. In looking more closely at the verse, I realized Paul was saying the power of God is experienced as a person presently believes in the gospel – not as a one time past event but a present ongoing belief. This was a radical revelation. I began to understand that the salvation Paul is speaking of here in Romans 1:16 is not just a salvation from my sins in the past, but an ongoing salvation from my sins in the present, something all of us as believers need – DESPERATELY. I saw that the way we experience the power of God for that salvation is through the gospel.

Paul reiterates this idea in 1 Corinthians 15:1,2 – “Now, brothers and sisters, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. 2 By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain.” Paul is writing to his friends and fellow believers in Corinth. At the end of the letter, he concludes by saying, “Now, brothers.” I noticed he clearly addresses believers, not non-believers. He then says, “I want to remind you of the gospel.” Paul saw that remembering the gospel was essential to believers. Why? Paul further explains – “By this gospel you are saved.” The ESV says “By this gospel you are being saved.” The verb, saved, is present. Once again pointing to the present impact of the gospel in a believer’s life.

Paul goes on to say this present salvation is experienced “if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you.” This present salvation isn’t just a given. It is experienced as we believe presently in the gospel. That is why Paul wants to remind them of this gospel. Their present salvation was at stake. Not their future salvation from the penalty of sin but their present salvation from the power of sin. Otherwise, Paul says, we believe in vain. The vanity or emptiness of our belief that Paul is speaking of here is not that we lose our eternal salvation, but that we aren’t experiencing the present effect God designed for the gospel to have in believers’ lives.

So I saw, and hope you see, the gospel is not just for nonbelievers. It is something for believers. Author Jerry Bridges speaks about this idea when he says; “I preach the gospel to myself every day.” I would even go further as to say I want to preach the gospel to myself throughout the day - for as I believe that gospel, the power of God flows into my life to save me in all the ways I need saving. Who is the Gospel for? It is for you and me and all others who need the power of God in their lives today.

Difficulty In Defining Success

Written by Bob Schindler, COO of CEDE Sports

How Do I Know I am Winning?

“At the end of the game, all I had to do to know whether we had won or lost was to look at the scoreboard.” A then friend and now ministry partner at CEDE SPORTS, M.L. Woodruff, then said, “Now I don’t have that scoreboard. I don’t know whether I am winning or losing.”  M.L. served as a high school baseball coach for 30 years (where he won 11 state championships by the way - obviously winning more than he lost!) before pursuing a call to lead Istrouma Sports at Istrouma Baptist Church in Baton Rouge. It was in that role with Istrouma Sports that I met M.L. This conversation came up early on in our relationship. It stuck with me.  The more I thought about it, the more I realized that M.L.’s challenge is not unique. We all want to know if we are winning or losing, making progress or falling behind. In some areas of life, we may have a clear “scoreboard.” In others, like in ministry, that scoreboard may not be so clear. For example, are you winning or losing in:

• Your marriage?

• Your parenting?  

• Your following Jesus?

If you know, how do you know?  What is your scoreboard?  

Keeping Score

In the pursuit of the answer, what sports, rec, and fitness ministers often do is to establish a scoreboard that is easily measurable.  Their scoreboard typically includes:   

• Number of participants

• Finances

• Facilities

While this is helpful information, it is incomplete.  It doesn’t evaluate the whole picture and give a true understanding of whether progress is being made.  To help sports, rec, and fitness leaders with this dilemma, we developed a tool to evaluate progress called The Wheel.  It is based on the three components of a wheel 

• The Hub – Power Source

• The Spokes – Power Transfer

• The Rim – Power Effects